Alberta Farmland Trust is a charitable organization that collaborates with agricultural landowners to protect Alberta’s high quality, food producing lands through conservation easements for agriculture. We are a voice for protecting Alberta’s farmland.

A land trust is a charitable organization dedicated to conserving land with environmental, agricultural, or cultural significance.  Land Trusts may utilize various tools, resources, and educational programs to meet their specific conservation goals.

Alberta Farmland Trust has chosen to help protect Alberta’s high quality, food producing lands through the use of conservation easements for agricultural land. 

Alberta Farmland Trust collaborates with landowners choosing to protect their land for agriculture by registering a conservation easement for agriculture on the property’s title. The conservation easement protects the land for agricultural use and from conversion to uses that jeopardize the land for agriculture, such as residential or industrial development. With the conservation easement in place, a landowner continues their farming operations, knowing their farmland is protected now and into the future.

Alberta Farmland Trust has an exclusive focus on securing and monitoring farmland in Alberta, prioritizing the protection of high quality, food producing lands. Unlike other land trusts who focus more on projects with ecological conservation goals, we are dedicated to protecting agricultural land.

A conservation easement is a contractual agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization, such as Alberta Farmland Trust. Conservation easements are a voluntary, flexible tool, legislatively enabled by the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.

Alberta Farmland Trust’s conservation easements for agricultural land require that the farmland remain in agriculture and not be subdivided, while leaving day-to-day management practices to the owner’s discretion. Once finalized, the conservation easement for agriculture is registered on the property’s certificate of title, remaining with the land forever.  With the conservation easement for agriculture in place, the landowner may continue farming, or may choose to gift or sell the land, secure in the knowledge that the land is protected for agriculture for the future.

Alberta must protect its farmland to ensure food security and preserve essential ecological goods and services, including clean air, water, soil fertility, and biodiversity. By safeguarding productive agricultural land, Alberta can sustain its agricultural industry from competing land uses and support vibrant social and economic communities. Many urban areas have been developed on highly productive agricultural land, placing it under significant development pressure. Once land is converted out of agriculture, it is often irreversible. 

Reasons a landowner might choose to register a conservation easement for agriculture on their farmland can be grouped into three categories:

1. To meet personal goals: A landowner may wish to ensure their land remains dedicated to agriculture rather than being developed for subdivision or industrial use. This goal might be driven by various motivations, including honoring their family's farming legacy, protecting Alberta’s valuable soil, water, and air for future generations, and contributing to long-term food security for Albertans.

2. Tax management and planning: Registering a conservation easement for agriculture can be a strategic element of a landowner’s tax planning.

3. To assist with succession planning: A conservation easement on agriculture may serve as a valuable tool within a broader succession plan for individuals and families.

Registering a conservation easement on agricultural land may be a strategic component of a landowner’s tax planning. It may also impact capital gains tax on future sales or bequests of the land. Given that each situation is unique, the financial implications vary according to a landowner’s specific circumstances. Alberta Farmland Trust advises that landowners seek independent tax, accounting, and legal advice while considering a conservation easement for their land.

Although Alberta Farmland Trust provides a charitable donation receipt to the landowner upon completion and registration of the conservation easement on the property’s title.

The amount of the donation receipt is determined using a before and after appraisal method. This involves calculating the difference between:

• The appraised value of the land before the registration of the conservation easement, and

• The appraised value of the land with the conservation easement registered on the property’s title.

Typically, the land appraised value will decrease once the conservation easement is registered. This reduction reflects the value of the conservation easement donated to Alberta Farmland Trust and is the value on the donation receipt issued.  

The decrease in appraised value occurs because conservation easements generally require landowners to relinquish certain rights related to the land. Under Alberta Farmland Trust’s general conservation easement structure, landowners agreeing to:

• Keep the land in agriculture use (as defined in the conservation easement), and

• Prevent the land from being converted to non-agricultural uses, such as subdivision or industrial development.

We are funded through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners. These funds support the development of new conservation easements for agricultural land, the monitoring of existing conservation easements, and the overall growth and sustainability of our organization.

Landowners are encouraged to contact Alberta Farmland Trust to explore the benefits of a conservation easement for their agricultural land. If, after initial discussions, both parties wish to proceed, Alberta Farmland Trust will collaborate with the landowner to realize their vision for land protection and guide them through the process of developing and registering the conservation easement on their property’s title. Additionally, Alberta Farmland Trust may assist in fundraising to cover the costs to develop and monitor a conservation easement for agriculture in circumstances where owners may lack the capital but wish to protect their agricultural land.

To support farmland conservation in Alberta, you can:

• Create a Conservation Easement for Agricultural Land: Contact us to explore how a conservation easement can align with your vision for preserving your land.

• Make a Donation: Contributions help develop new conservation easements, maintain existing ones, and support our organization's growth. Visit our donations page for information.